Railroad-tie.



Patented Sept. 4, |900.

E. A. W. JEFFERIES,

RAILROAD TIE.

(Application le'dMay 24, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBENEZER A. W. JEFFERIES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANCONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-TIE.

s'PEcnrcA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,492, datedseptember 4, 1 90o. Application filed May 24, 1900; Serial No. 17,902.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EBENEZER A. W. JEF- FERIEs,a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of Detroit, in the county of Wayne andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailroad-l nection it relates to the construction and arrangement ofsuch `a tie.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide an elasticrailroadtie the body of which is formed of concrete or simi` larmaterial reinforced near its upper face by metallic rods or bars andnear its base by metallic strips, so that the body shall possess thenecessary resilience or elasticity to successfully overcome the straincaused by the train passing over the ends of the tie; second, to providein such a railroad-tie a simple and secure means for firmly holding twowooden blocks supporting the rails upon the concrete body of the tie,said means consisting, preferably, of the metallic rods or barsreinforcing the upper face of the body of the tie, and, third, toprovide in such a railroad-'tie a simple and secure means for firmlyholding down the blocks of wood in the ends of the tie, said meanspermitting of the easy removal and-replacement of the wooden blocks.

My invention, stated Ain general terms, consists of an elasticrailroad-tie constructed and arranged in substantially the mannerhereinafter described and claimed.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood fromthe following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming part hereof,

in which- Figure l is a front elevational view, partly in longitudinalsection, of a railroad-tie embodying main features of my invention. Fig.

2 is a top or plan view of the tie, partly in horil body of thetie,consisting of con crete,arti licial stone, or similar material. Inthe base of the body a is embedded a strip or strips b of wide `metallicribbon formed, preferably, of whatis known as expanded met-al. Throughthe `upper edge of the body a metallic rods or bars d, preferably two innumber, are passed. Ateither end of the body a of the tie and initsupper surface `is formed a recess o.' for the reception of a block eofwood, upon which block the rail f may be spiked in the usual manner. Theblock e is shaped to ftinto the recess c', and has an inner curved orangular corner e', which fits snugly into a corresponding depression ofthe recess o. when the block c is securely clamped in said recess. Toclamp these blocks e into their respective recesses, the rods or bars dare passed through the blocks c and provided with washers d',adapted tofit down upon the outer end of said blocks and to clamp the blocks tothe body a when suitable nuts d2 are advanced upon the ends of the rodsor bars d. The base of each block e is provided with a dovetailedextension e2, adapted to slide in a complementally-formed groove a2,formed in the base of the recessed portion o. of the body a. This meansof connection of the block e with the body a permits of the readywithdrawal and replacement of the blocks c when the nuts d and washers dare removed from the bars or rods d, and also, in connection with theangular or curved corner e', fitting a corresponding depression of therecess ot' of the body a, forms a ,rm or locking engagement for theblock in the top of the body a. By reinforcing the top of the body awith the rods or bars d and embedding in the base of the body a a stripor strips b of metal whose surface is perforated-as, for example, inwhat is known as expanded metal-the body ais rendered sufficientlyresilient or elastic to stand the strain upon the tie caused by thepassage of a train over the rails f thereof.

It will be manifestly obvious that modifications may be made in theshape or form of the strip or strips of metal to be embedded in theconcrete or other similar body of the tie toform an elasticstrengthening-ligature without departing from the spiritV and scope IOCof my invention, and hence I do, not wish to fie 4 be understood aslimiting myself yto the Vprecise construction and ,arrangement of thesaid strip or strips as illustgrated inthe drawings;y

but

Having thus described che nature and ,cb-ff jects of my `in,vent.ion,whata I `claim new, and desire tosecure'by Letters Patent, is'

` te 'the body el? the Atie, substantiallyas and for the 'purposesdescribed.

'l "L 3. A railroad-tie,comprising a bodyof concrete or similarYmaterial having either end recessed, in combination with a wooden blockthe `concreige body, a dovetsailedv projectionl lformed' on the base ofsaid wooden blo'ck and yadapted to slide in a complemental groove`orlned in thebas'e of said recess, and reinforcing bars or rods adaptedto traverse the body and the blocks and vto clamp said blocks L-tesadbody.;snhsmnrially-asand for the puroses described.

In testimony whereof I have khereunto sety my signature in the presenceof two subscrib- I( ing witnesses. Y p

` EBENEZERKA. W. ,JEFFERIEs Witnesses:

or rods mraverslng the body "and the blocks,

I said 'bars :or rods adapted to clamp said blocks J. WALTER DoUcLAss,THOMAS M. SMITH.

